Q:What do Scientologists think about abortion?

Scientologists are generally pro-life and support solutions that are for the maximum survival for themselves, their family, group and mankind. In a civilized and social society abortion is usually not an option for maximum survival. Abortion is neither promoted nor generally accepted amongst Scientologists and certainly not pushed by the Church of Scientology or its founder, L. Ron Hubbard. To the contrary.

I have heard allegations that members of the religious order of the Church of Scientology, the Sea Organization, would have chosen to abort their pregnancy upon "pressure" from others. That is most likely not true and the reason why I think that is that I know personally dozens of members of the Sea Organization who are pausing their membership in the Sea Organization to become parents (I am attaching a couple of affidavits and reports from Scientology parents, former Sea Organization members, that describe in detail what experiences they made inside the organization when they realized the pregnancy).

It is true that the Sea Organization - some 5-6,000 members worldwide - does not allow its members to raise their children inside the organization. But if one choses to, the mother (and father) can pause the membership for the duration of the parenthood - or end it completely - and become a regular parishioner of the Church of Scientology. Maybe there is some disappointment going along with that, from colleagues who don't want to give up good work relationships or from superiors who don't want to lose a good worker, but this is a long way from supporting abortion or "pressuring" it. Already in 1950 Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard had the following to say about abortion:

"Once the child is conceived, no matter how 'shameful' the circumstances, no matter the mores, no matter the income, that man or woman who would attempt an abortion on an unborn child is attempting a murder which will seldom succeed and is laying the foundation of a childhood of illness and heartache.

"Anyone attempting an abortion is committing an act against the whole society and the future; any judge or doctor recommending an abortion should be instantly deprived of position and practice, whatever his 'reason.' "

"A woman who is pregnant should be given every consideration by a society which has any feeling for its future generations." (Google books link)

Here are some reports from former Sea Organization members who became parents (PDFs):